Examine Yourself

Hello old friends, new followers and fellow bloggers-

Have you ever had one of those “reality check” moments? Like, one of those times when you became aware of who you truly were? I think we all have moments like these and they come when we have ignored the voice of God way too long. I had one of those moments a few hours ago, I realized that I needed to be real with myself and with God. Sometimes we are not in the situations we face because of the Enemy or the devil, we are in our predicaments because of us. We placed ourselves in these various circumstances but then look to God and blame Him for our situation. It’s not God’s fault but ours. That’s a tough pill to swallow but it is not until we come into truth that we can: be free. Jesus said, “For you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. (John 8:32) “ It is the truth that sets us free, not our fantasies, excuses and rejection of what truly is – but truth. So today, I came face to face with some hard truth about myself and it was that truth that compelled my desire to change.

With today being first Sunday, I know my home church performed communion. My mom always read 1 Corinthians 11:28a, “But let a man examine himself…” This practice of examining ourselves is this check to determine our standing with God. Sometimes we can become so comfortable in our sin that we forget that our standing with God matters. Christianity is not solely about Heaven, but what is the point to spend so many days in church just to end up in Hell? Why waste our precious time to live halfway committed to God?

We halfway worship, we halfway praise. We know all the scriptures, but can’t live them out. We can speak in some kind of tongue, dance a church down with our coordinated two -step but can’t live and speak holy. What is the point to do the most, if I’m not going to spend eternity with Him? I’m at this place in my life, where church homiletics and routines are no l longer cutting it. I’m no longer trying to look the part of a Christian, I’m about being a Christian in all its entirety. If I’m going to look a part, I’m just deceiving myself.

Today I came to myself, I recognized that my heart and my mind was keeping me from this next place in God. I needed a new heart, a new mind, a new outlook on life. The cycle of barely trusting God, believing one day and then complaining tomorrow was going to keep me in stuck in a mediocre relationship with God. I saw myself as super selfish, super whiny and someone who was more blessed than I realized. Yes, life is tough but everyone’s life is tough and that’s why we have a God who is more concerned with us than we are sometimes with him. God is not asking for my complaints, He is seeking my heart to trust him in the midst of where I am.

If we judge ourselves, we don’t have to worry about anyone judging us.

One of the teens in my church’s youth group preached a message called, “Check Yourself.” and I speak that to each of you – check yourself. Are you who you say you are? Are you as devout to the gospel as you appear to be? Looks can be deceiving…. If you’re not where you need to be in God, get there and get there fast because we don’t have time to keep up appearances. We don’t have time to appear to be whole when we are indeed broken. We don’t have time to appear to be free when we are truly bound. We don’t have time to fake our peace living in a state of torment. We don’t have time …

When we are honest with ourselves, it is then we are made whole. It is truth that sets us free and it is confession that heals us. I don’t know about y’all but I am ready to live in the fullness of what God created for me to be. I am ready to change. I am ready…

Until next time,

Simone

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)